Lincoln Park - Schaumburg commute? (Chicago, Hoffman Estates: home, living in, nightlife)

[skeeter85]

How feasible would this be? I am considering a job in Schaumburg, but I have little desire to live in the burbs. What kind of commute am I looking at? Looks like I would be going against the majority of traffic both ways, but I know it is a long haul. Would living in Wicker Park or UK Village trim the commute by a significant margin? Thanks for your help!

[Drover]

It's not really true that you're going against a "majority" of traffic. On most major arteries in the Chicago area, there is no such thing as a "reverse commute" any more. Traffic is now equally abysmal in all directions during rush hour, and now even on Saturdays as surbanites come into the city to play and city folks get the hell out before they snap.

The Kennedy/Northwest Tollway is no exception. In fact, it's probably among the worst with so many corporations setting up major facilities in or near Shaumburg. If you plan to travel during rush hour periods, plan on a MINIMUM of an hour and 15 minutes, and that's if you live on the west edge of Lincoln Park near the expressway. If you plan to live in the middle of or on the east side of Lincoln Park near Halsted, Lincoln or Broadway, add another 20 to 25 minutes just fighting street-level traffic to get to the expressway; Lincoln Park is probably the most gridlocked part of the city outside of downtown.

There are other options for living in the city that give you quicker access to Schaumburg and also relatively convenient access to the city's nightlife spots; Jefferson Park and Irving Park, though not themselves terribly "hip," are two such options.

[skeeter85]

Thanks for the quick reply - so the commute from Irving Park or Jefferson Park would be under an hour I presume? Thats what I'm shooting for...

[Drover]

My wife's commute to Schaumburg is about an hour from Irving Park, so I figure about 45 to 50 minutes from Jefferson Park. If she leaves as late as 10am the commute from Irving Park drops to 30-40 minutes.

[andrew61]

The "reverse" city-to-suburb commute on the Kennedy Expressway can actually be worse timewise than in the other direction... remember, you won't have the express lanes working in your favor.

I used to commute to Hoffman Estates from Lakeview... I was usually able to make my morning drive in just under an hour, but I left as early as 6 am. Evening commutes home were over an hour most days... an hour fifteen to an hour and a half (especially on Fridays), and sometimes two hours or more in inclement weather. Remember, there could be hell to pay on winter days when there's a snowstorm. Also remember that on summer days coming home, you could hit Cubs traffic when there are night games.

If you can make do with Irving Park or Jefferson Park, you should be able to cut about 20 minutes from your commute time over Lincoln Park.